


way back when

by tangentiallly



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Best Friends, Canon Compliant, Don’t copy to another site, Gen, Pre-Canon, cute and fun and fluffy if you interpret this fic by itself and out of context of what happens later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 00:00:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21418849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tangentiallly/pseuds/tangentiallly
Summary: Beatrice trying to figure her new mission partners out.
Relationships: Beatrice Baudelaire & Count Olaf, Kit Snicket & Bertrand Baudelaire
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8





	way back when

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: I don't own ASOUE
> 
> title from Kodaline's song

Beatrice’s new mission partners weren’t exactly the easiest to work with. 

It wasn’t like they were mean or unkind or anything like that, but - she’d felt slightly out of place with them. They were both 3 years older than her, and evidently close friends who’d gone on missions before ever having to work on something with her, and sometimes they seemed to be able to communicate within themselves with just a few simple sentences that she had to spend extra efforts in trying to parse what was unsaid. 

Maybe they weren’t intentionally excluding her, but were so used to working together that they’d forgotten not everyone was accustomed to their way of sharing information. And it wasn’t like it was a big deal or whatever, since the missions weren’t that big, and they were mostly just assigned small tasks and simple stakeouts and investigations of cases that weren’t too complicated, and they usually could finish the assigned task - it bothered Beatrice a bit, since she was generally very well liked amongst her peers and other volunteers same year as her and she fit in perfectly. But dealing with these two volunteers who were slightly older and who she had previously mostly known by reputation and met on a few occasions only - it was suddenly a different territory to navigate. Beatrice wasn’t sure why she was assigned to work with them, she and Olaf had been speculating about this for a while now, and she’d boasted to him that must be because the teachers thought of her clever and ahead of her peers, and he’d rolled his eyes at that. But then he couldn’t resist to ask curiously, almost enviously, if her two mission partners were dating.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Beatrice teased, knowing Olaf’s crush on one of the mission partners. Lemony’s older sister had once escaped from a jail on a train, earning the admiration among the younger volunteers. Rumors said she’d jumped off the train and landing on the ground with perfect balancing - although Beatrice wasn’t sure if that was actually true or not. She knew Olaf thought it was absolutely true, but she’d also heard rumors suggesting that it might’ve been somewhat exaggerated.

Beatrice had actually brought the question about the rumor up last time when they were planning a thievery together. Before Kit could answer, her other mission partner Bertrand, who Beatrice had seen with polite, pleasant smiles but never outright laughter, laughed louder than Beatrice had ever seen him to before. Kit had rolled her eyes, and then asked, “Is that what people are saying?” And Bertrand had collected his laughter and said with a very serious face, “She did. She’s very sporty.”

"Did a somersault, even,” Kit added, in a very deadpan way.

Beatrice wasn’t sure whether the two of them were joking or not, although if she had to guess she would say they probably were. After she relayed this story to Olaf, though, he’d been insisting that it must be true.

The thing with Kit and Bertrand was that they were kind of hard to understand, in Beatrice’s opinion. Not just because they were older than her, but also they seemed to be less interested in spending time on dramas and plays and more interested in hanging out with Hector and helping with whatever mechanical device Hector was working on. Beatrice, on the other hand, never considered herself to be mechanically-minded. They also seemed to be people who were usually quiet yet observant, with their own agenda somewhere, making people unsure of what information they had gathered. Or maybe it was a skill every volunteer acquire when they get older and Beatrice would one day become like this too, but some other older volunteers, such as Monty or Ike, didn’t really seem this way.

It would be easier to understand if they were dating, at least. Although third-wheeling came with its own problem, but at least it would be understandable why it was harder to fit in. From what she’d observed, though, they didn’t actually seem to be dating, but just really good friends.

So Beatrice had made it her own secret mission to become as good friends with both of them. She was good at making friends and she knew she was likable, even if they were slightly older than her, she was sure this couldn’t be that hard.

Plus, Beatrice liked a challenge.

“They could be immersed in their own little circle sometimes, but they’re both actually pretty cool and nice people,” one of the Denouement twins suddenly said one day, inserting himself into she and Olaf’s conversation easily after hearing Beatrice discussing the topic with Olaf. “Once you familiarize yourself with them.” He grinned mischievously and rather smugly, “which I did.”

_ Well, you’re also the same age as them, which makes it easier _ , Beatrice thought.

And then Beatrice and Olaf looked at each other, the unspoken question “which one of the twins do you think he is” between them.

“Frank?” Beatrice guessed.

While at the same time Olaf guessed, “Ernest?”

The Denouement twin looked frustrated for a brief moment, “Oh, why does everyone - well, okay.” He paused, and exhaled. “Let’s put it this way, if you figure out the answer to this question out correctly, it’ll be one of the fastest way for them to see you in a different light, and not just a younger volunteer who they are assigned to work with.”

Beatrice frowned, “You couldn’t possibly be speaking from experience, though, could you? That’s not how you become friends with them, just by knowing who yourself is.”

He grinned. “You’re very clever. In my case, it was different. But I feel fairly confident that I could assure you that this would work for _ you _ . Nothing bonds people like shared secrets.”

Beatrice’s eyes lit up. “They know how to tell which twin you are!” She said, feeling that she must’ve figured it out.

“Well, ‘which twin I am’ is actually the wrong question,” he told her. “But it is, indeed, very close to the right question.” He stood up, “Well, see you guys later, I have to run to the library.”

He dashed out quickly, leaving Beatrice and Olaf glancing at each other.

“So,” Olaf began. “What do you think he meant by wrong question, but very close?”

“Maybe they’re not twins,” Beatrice said slowly. “Just two people pretending to be twins.”

“Two people who disguised themselves to look alike!” Olaf said excitedly. “Do you think they’re wearing masks all the time, or just make up?”

“Ohhh,” Beatrice said, equally excited. “Maybe Kit and Bertrand help do their makeup.”

“We’re geniuses,” Olaf crowed.

“Absolutely,” Beatrice agreed, delighted.

**Author's Note:**

> [come say hi on tumblr](https://beatricebidelaire.tumblr.com)


End file.
